Did Alcohol Facilitate the Evolution of Complex Societies?

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications • Vol/Iss. 12 • Unknown • • Published In • Pages: 1-13 •
By Hrnčíř, Václav , Chira, Angela M , Gray, Russell D.

Abstract

This study investigates the time-hardened question of whether alcohol had any role in the evolution of complex societies, aka the “drunk’ hypothesis. Although indigenous alcoholic beverages are found in about 50% of societies around the world largely excluding native North America and Oceania, low-alcohol fermented drinks have been known to aid in social cohesion, maintaining political ties (through feasting), and rituals. While it is clear alcohol is not a direct indicator of social complexity, when controlling for agriculture and other major factors, the relationship between the two is significant.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
eHRAF World Cultures
Standard Cross Cultural Sample (SCCS)CombinationAlcohol use coded by researchers from data in eHRAF World Cultures supplemented by Google Scholar

Hypotheses (7)

HypothesisSupported
Alcohol will be positively associated with levels of political complexity, after considering the effect of agricultureSupported
Non-alcohol intoxicants will have a possitive association with political complexitySupported
Non-alcohol intoxicants will have a positive association with the presence of alcoholSupported
The presence of non-alcohol intoxicants will not detract from the relationship between alcohol and political complexitySupported
Agriculture will have a strong positive relationship to political complexitySupported
Alcohol production will be a by-product of crop cultivationSupport Claimed
Environmental productivity will be positively associated with alcohol and agriculture intensitySupported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: hattie.berke